The dishwasher door is an essential part of a functional appliance.
If the dishwasher door doesn’t stay in place, the entire appliance is rendered useless. This is due to the enclosed nature of the dishwasher and how it washes dishes when a cycle is ongoing.
If your dishwasher door falls open on its own, this is a problem that has to be addressed as soon as possible.
To fix a dishwasher door that falls open, inspect the two springs running along the side of the door near the bottom. There will be a spring on each side. When these springs are loose or damaged, the door will fall open. Replace both springs to fix the issue.
It’s important to remember that a loose dishwasher door is just as bad as an open one. This can lead to a situation where the water begins to leak out from the sides.
It’s imperative to fix this problem before it worsens and damages the surrounding elements including the flooring.
This guide will show what to do when a dishwasher door falls open and which repair tips will matter the most during this process. Being proactive in a situation such as this is critical.
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Steps To Follow If Your Dishwasher Door Falls Open
1. Unplug The Dishwasher
To get started, you are going to have to unplug the dishwasher.
This allows you to repair the dishwasher without worrying about an electrical current flowing through the appliance.
It will also allow you to pull the dishwasher forward, which is imperative to appropriately access the springs running along the sides of the door.
When you unplug the dishwasher, pull it out.
Leave the dishwasher door open when it is pulled out. This is going to let you take a peek at the springs and hinges that are running along the sides of the door.
Inspect everything to see where the problem lies.
2. Check The Door Spring
Now, it’s time to check the door spring.
This door spring is going to be located at the bottom of the door hinge. You will notice it when you pull the dishwasher out and look at the sides of the dishwasher door.
The spring will stick out along the side.
Inspect both sides to see which door spring is causing the issue. You will likely see one that is looser than the other.
This is normal.
However, you are not going to be changing out the broken one. You are going to replace both springs when it’s time to fix the issue or the dishwasher door will continue to fall open.
3. Replace Both Springs Together
As mentioned above, you will have to replace both springs on the dishwasher door.
Why is this the case?
When you change one spring, the other is going to remain loose or out of sync. This causes the dishwasher door to make noise, lock up, or continue to fall open as time goes on.
Since you want to avoid this at all costs, you will need to replace both springs.
Plus, this is a good time to fix the issue for good rather than having to replace the second spring a few months later.
The springs should come out easily as you unscrew them. Pop-out the springs and replace them with a compatible alternative.
4. Test The Dishwasher Door At Different Angles
When the new springs are in place, it’s time to test the dishwasher door.
You are going to do this by opening the dishwasher door and then moving it upwards. If the springs are working properly, the dishwasher door isn’t going to come crashing down as soon as you let it go.
Try to close the dishwasher door and let it go once again.
If it continues to stay in place and doesn’t budge then you are good to go.
Final Thoughts
These are the things to focus on if a dishwasher door falls open.
If a dishwasher door falls open, the springs are likely too loose and/or broken. To fix the issue, unplug the dishwasher, pull it out, and replace the springs on both sides of the door. The springs will be located on the sides of the dishwasher door near the bottom.
It’s best to take your time with this process and ensure the new springs are installed correctly.
This includes tightening them as well as you can.
Too many people don’t do this and that is what leads to unwanted results. It’s best to take a step back and make sure you continue to test the dishwasher door when the new springs are set up.
This will allow you to see whether or not the fix has worked.
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